Ireland is braced for Red Alert Storm Eunice, which is set to bring severe and damaging winds as well as significant falls of snow and heavy rain.
Met Eireann has issued a spate of weather warnings, including its highest Status Red alert for counties Cork and Kerry.
Two separate Status Orange alerts and a rare triple Status Yellow warning have also been issued. Follow updates in our live blog.
Due to the "extreme nature" of Storm Eunice, the Department of Education has advised schools in seven counties to close on Friday.
The affected counties are Cork, Kerry, Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon.
READ MORE: Met Eireann timeline for Storm Eunice ‘weather bomb’ as wind and snow warnings issued for Ireland
READ MORE: The difference in Met Eireann's Status Red, Orange and Yellow weather warnings as storms hit Ireland
In a statement following a meeting of the National Emergency Coordination Committee, a spokesperson said: "Due to the extreme nature of Storm Eunice and the threat of multi-hazard weather events as confirmed by Met Eireann, the Department of Education is advising that schools in counties where Status Red wind warnings are in place and in counties where Status Orange Snow warnings are in place should not open tomorrow 18 February.
"Remote teaching and learning should commence where possible, in line with schools’ remote teaching and learning plans.
"All schools should keep up-to-date with the current weather warnings which are carried on all national and local news bulletins and in particular any change in the status warning for their area."
Giving an update on potential conditions, they continued: "Met Eireann has advised that this is a multi-hazard event with wind and heavy snow. Storm Eunice will bring heavy sleet and snow leading to blizzard-like conditions in parts with treacherous driving conditions.
"The storm is expected to impact most during school commuting hours and this will make journeys to school extremely hazardous in the morning in those areas."
The last storm-related school closure was in December when Storm Barra wreaked havoc on the country. Schools, creches and third-level institutions in counties under red and orange weather warnings were advised to close for a number of days by the Department of Education.
Met Eireann has three categories of weather warnings - Status Yellow, Status Orange and Status Red.
According to the Government’s Be Winter Ready campaign, Status Yellow is to notify those who are at risk because of their location and/or activity, and to allow them to take preventative action. Yellow alerts are for weather conditions that do not pose an immediate threat to the general population, but only to those exposed to risk by nature of their location and/or activity.
The category of Status Orange level weather warnings is for weather conditions which have the capacity to impact significantly on people in the affected areas. It implies that all recipients in the affected areas should prepare themselves in an appropriate way for the anticipated conditions.
Status Red, the highest alert, is for severe weather such as a comparatively rare event, and implies that recipients take action to protect themselves and their properties. This could be by moving their families out of the danger zone temporarily, by staying indoors or by other specific actions aimed at mitigating the effects of the weather conditions.
Met Eireann weather warnings for Storm Eunice
- Status Red Storm Warning for Cork and Kerry
Valid Friday 3am until 8am
Met Eireann says: “Storm Eunice will track quickly over Ireland tonight and Friday morning bringing severe and damaging winds. Southwest winds veering northwest will reach mean speeds in excess of 80 km/h with gusts in excess of 130 km/h. Some coastal flooding, especially at high tide.”
- Status Orange Storm Warning for Clare, Galway, Waterford, Wexford, Cork, Kerry, Kildare, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wicklow, Laois, Offaly and Dublin
Valid Friday 3am until 11am
Met Eireann says: “Storm Eunice will track quickly over Ireland tonight and Friday morning bringing severe and damaging winds for a time. Southwest or cyclonic winds becoming northwest will reach mean speeds of 65 to 80 km/h with gusts up to 130 km/h. Some coastal flooding, especially at high tide.”
- Status Orange Snow Warning for Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo and Roscommon
Valid Friday 3am until 3pm
Met Eireann says: “Storm Eunice will bring heavy sleet and snow leading to blizzard-like conditions in parts with treacherous driving conditions.”
- Status Yellow Wind, Rain and Snow Warning for entire country
Valid Friday 1am until 3pm
Met Eireann says: “Storm Eunice will track over Ireland on Thursday night and on Friday bringing very strong winds and falls of heavy rain, sleet and snow. Some disruption is likely along with a possibility of coastal and spot flooding.”
